Two Way Cry
by Violet Illuser
Summary: An AxelRoxas fic that starts from the time Roxas first joins Organization XIII, up until Axel's death. It stays as true as possible to the actual Kingdom Hearts series events and timeline.
1. Roxas

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own any of the Kingdom Hearts series. This is pure fan work even though some scenes from the actual games will be used.

Rating: M

Pairing: Axel/Roxas

Spoiler Warning Real events will be used from the series, mostly Chain of Memories and KH2.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic is going to tie in (as best it can) to the actual series, and stick as close as possible to the characters' personalities (meaning Roxas is an asshole while in Organization XIII, because he was in the game). If you have any complaints on a personality of a character, go ahead and email me, I'll give you my proof.

And now to the fic:)

Prologue

The boy awoke slowly, groggy, his mind feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. Why was he so cold? Why did he feel so... empty? Where was he? Who was he? But most importantly, why couldn't he remember _anything_ before now?

He opened his eyes. At first he was overwhelmed by the sight of the swirl of dark colors around him. Blue, black, and purple all dipping and swirling, mixing together... and at the same time, not. It made him dizzy. He closed his eyes and curled his body into a ball, trying to regain his bearings. Still the colors swirled behind his shut lids, but at least it wasn't sickening anymore. He also realized why he was so cold.

He was naked.

He opened his eyes again and found he was getting use to the swirls. He tried to sit up, and managed. At least his body wasn't damaged...

But... why was he here? And just where _was_ here?

He looked around him in all directions. There was nothing but the swirls all around. No apparent entrance or exit. No signs of life...

Just then an egg-shaped portal of darkness appeared before him, and a figure in a hooded black coat slipped out. The boy backed away, attempting to cover his nakedness, so as not to feel vulnerable to the cloaked stranger. Until he knew whether it was friend or foe, he was in trouble. And if it the stranger _was _a foe, he had no weapon to fight with.

The stranger in the coat seemed taken aback at the sight of the naked boy in front of him, but he quickly recovered. "My, my, what do we have here?" the stranger asked.

The condescending tone in the stranger's voice annoyed the boy. "Who are you?" the boy demanded.

The stranger chuckled. "Firey, I like that. And as for who I am boy, I am like you. Just a Nobody."

"A... Nobody?" the boy asked.

"A Nobody," the stranger confirmed. "We are the leftover bodies and souls of those who have had their hearts lost to the darkness. With no hearts we are neither light nor dark. We exist inbetween. We exist in twilight. In essence, we should not exist, but still do. Thus, we are Nobodies."

_Beings that shouldn't eixist? No heart? _the boy thought. Yes, that seemed right. Inside he was... empty. He had no real emotion. He was... detached. There was a hole inside his chest.

Emotion. He could remember the word. Remember the words that went with it. Happy. Sad. Other words... But what did it _feel _like? He couldn't remember anything.

"Tell me, boy, what is your name?" the stranger asked.

The boy looked away. Something dark bubbled up inside him. _Rage, _he recognized. He was angry that he couldn't remember something so simple. Shouldn't the body and mind know its own name?

But wait! Wasn't anger a type of emotion? Yes, he could remember that. That and... it was such a _dark_ emotion. Dark like the hole inside him.

Was that it then? Could he only feel dark emotions?

Or was it that he was only tricking himself into thinking he was feeling anything at all? The mind and body's pre-programmed reactions to what was happening around him.

The boy shook his head. Thinking was getting him nowhere. He needed answers.

"Was that a no, you do not know your name?" the stranger asked.

"...No," he shook his head again. "No, I don't know my name."

"Do you have any memories at all of who you were before?"

"...No."

"Very well... You know, only those of us who had strong hearts in our last life are blessed with our humanity in tact. We are the most powerful of Nobodies. We can control the lesser Nobodies to help us gain our hearts back."

The boy's head snapped up. "We can get our heart's back?"

"That is what my organization is dedicated to." The stranger spread his arms wide. "If you join us, we can help you. You are like us. You have retained your humanity."

The boy was suspicious. Could it be this easy to get the answers? "I feel a 'but' coming..."

The strangers arms dropped back to his side. "All I must do is test your strength."

"How do you do that?"

"Like this..." He waved a hand and suddenly five white... _things _appeared. Humanoid _things_ with electricity running up their sides. They moved back and forth in a graceful, hypnotic, gyrating dance. Their "lips" unzipped, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The boy recognized them for what they were: lesser Nobodies. It seemed that after meeting the stranger, and learning what he really was, he could recognize others like him. There was a connection between Nobodies. Like, a mental radar.

"What do I have to do?" the boy asked the stranger, still looking at the lesser Nobodies.

"Defeat them," the stranger said simply.

"How am I supposed to fight?" the boy whirled around to face the stranger, practically yelling. "I don't have a weapon!"

The stranger shrugged. "A strong heart in your last life. A warrior. You think of something."

Finally, the boy snapped. He'd had enough of the stranger's indifference. The condescendence. So what if he didn't have any memories? So what if he didn't know who he was? The stranger _knew._ He felt it in his bones. The stranger had the answers, and he wouldn't give them up. Fine, he would just have to fight the stranger for them. He wouldn't let anyone stand in his way. The boy crouched in a fighting stance that felt familiar to his body.

_Dammit! I need a weapon... _And then, he felt it. In the back of his mind, a little 'click,' similar to a lock being opened. Something he still had from his past life. He latched onto that something and pulled... but... but it was stuck!

Inside the hood of his coat, unbeknowest to the boy, the stranger was smiling.

_NO! _the boy's mind screamed. _You are mine! You are my past, and dammit, you will come to me!_ He gave a final mental tug, and the something was free. In the physical world the force of the freed something caused him to stumble. He looked down at the something from his past. A weapon had appeared in his hands. It was a blade in the shape of a key.

"The keyblade," the stranger said.

The boy looked at him, momentarily dumbfounded. "The wha-?" And it was then that the lesser Nobodies lost patience, leaping onto the boy.

They were easy to dispose of. A couple hacks at each one and they simply vanished in a puff of darkness.

The stranger applauded.

The boy whirled around (retaining his battle stance), the battle having sweapt away the momentary confusion replacing it with the determination to get answers out of the stranger at any cost once again. "I want answers, and I want them NOW!"

This time the stranger laughed outright, but it was a hollow, bitter sound. The sound that comes from those without a heart. The boy flinched at the sound. It hurt his ears. "You can have your answers, boy, but you must join us first." The stranger held out his hand.

If all the members of this stranger's "organization" were like him, the boy was probably better off on his own. However, he wasn't sure how strong he was yet, and he had no idea just how many others were in this "organization." Reason prevailed. He took the stranger's hand and shook it.

He couldn't afford the enemies... yet.

The stranger pulled his hand away first, shadows entwining around it. He threw the shadows, now a coat similar to his, at the boy.

The boy caught it and stared at it. _Just for now, _he thought. _Once I have my heart, I'm doing things _my_ way_. He pulled the coat on and zipped it up.

"So, boy, what is your name?"

The boy thought a moment, letters slipping past, the shadows of a name. He grasped the letters, mixing them up in the process. "Roxas. My name is Roxas."

The stranger pulled back his hood, revealing a man with long silver hair. "Welcome, Roxas, the Key of Destiny, to Organization XIII. I am Xemnas, the Superior."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There was a subtle hint in Xemnas' last line saying "Bow to me bitch." Just so you're aware ;)


	2. Introductions

Disclaimer: I do not, in anyway, own any part of the Kingdom Hearts series or anything else affiliated with it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Gah! I made a horrible, horrible mistake last chapter. I forgot to read all of Ansem the wise's reports over before posting and made a horrible bad mistake. Bad author! No cookie! If you didn't catch it, that's great, otherwise, I'll try to remedy the situation as best as possible (ugh! So not going to work…), but, hey, artistic license and all that, right? Also, I think I'm wrong on the setup of the room, but for my purposes it's better this way. I apologize if there are a few grammar mistakes; this chapter wasn't able to go through all of my editors.

Chapter 1

Roxas was sitting in his seat in the grand circular meeting room for the first time with all twelve of the other Organization members. There was a lively undercurrent in the room as some of the other members conversed in hushed tones with one another. Most of them were looking at one another, only to briefly glance at Roxas before turning away again, but the one in the eighth seat seemed content with staring in Roxas' direction. It was unsettling because Roxas could not see his face (and knew number VIII was a he since Xemnas mentioned the only female member of their group was number XII, the member that sitting to his right) due to everyone still having his or her hood up, and Roxas found he didn't like not knowing things very much. Roxas wished number VIII would stop staring and turn to the member next to him, number IX, who was obviously trying to get VIII's attention.

Roxas inwardly sighed. This entire hubbub because Xemnas insisted he, Roxas, would be introduced to all the other members at once. Before now Xemnas had been giving him the grand tour of the headquarters, as well as teaching him all of the abilities Nobodies had, including using the corridors of darkness between worlds, but he refused to tell Roxas about any of the other members of the Organization.

"Why should I tell you now when all they will do is tell you the same information later?" Xemnas had asked. Roxas hadn't argued because he had learned by then that Xemnas had no qualms about showing off his power.

From above and to the left him, Roxas heard Xemnas clear his throat. Even with all the conversation going on before, the sound carried, and everyone fell silent. Roxas had to strain to look up at Xemnas. The room was set up so that Xemnas' seat was the highest, number II's seat was to the left and slightly lower, then number III, then IV, ect., until you hit number XIII, Roxas. This way, it was almost like a spiral staircase of throne-like seats.

"Lady, and gentlemen, welcome. I'm glad you could all make it tonight," Xemnas said in an almost good-natured tone while pulling back his hood.

There was some nervous laughter in response while everyone else in the room followed in suit. Everyone knew perfectly well that the only reason one should not answer the Superior's call was if one was dead.

"Allow me to introduce to you all our newest, and youngest member, number XIII: Roxas, the Key of Destiny."

Roxas nodded in response to the others.

"Now then, we will go around the room and-"

"Is it true you didn't make it all the way to Twilight Town to be reborn even though _all _Nobodies are reborn there?" A voice asked from across the room.

Roxas' head snapped in the direction the sound came from. His gaze locked with a flaming spiked fire engine red head that was leaning forward in his seat, his bright green gaze intent on Roxas. It was number VIII, easily recognizable with his coat tight everywhere on his body like a second (if not a little wrinkled) skin.

"Axel, you fool. How dare you interrupt the Superior," the member to number VIII's right said. Roxas' shifted his gaze to number VII. There had been no inflection in VII's voice whatsoever, yet that voice sounded near-deadly. VII had long blue hair with a silver tint to it. Most of it fell to either side of his head or to the back, but the front was spiked back in layers. His ears were pointed and he had an x-shaped scar between his eyes. Overall he looked like a blue elfish rooster. A _deadly_ blue elfish rooster.

"Saïx," Xemnas said in an almost soothing voice. "I will forgive Axel this time, we all know how _curious _he can be. Besides, I'm sure all of you are indeed curious about our newest member's rebirth."

There were murmurs of agreement all around.

"Roxas?" Xemnas prompted.

Roxas sat up in his seat. "There really isn't that much to say," he began. "I'm sure you're all already aware that I have no memories of my past. When I woke up after my rebirth, the Superior found me stuck in a corridor of darkness just outside of Twilight Town. We were hoping that if I made it to Twilight Town some of my memories would return, but to no avail. The Superior believes the reason for both me being in the corridor and my memory loss was due to the fact that I was somehow 'lost in transition.'"

_Whatever that means, _he thought.

"Interesting," said a new voice. Roxas turned to face number IV, a man with scraggly dirty blonde hair and a squashed in face who was leaning forward, his chin resting on his clasped hands. He was staring a Roxas as if… as if Roxas were a _thing._ "An anomaly to our hypothesis, just like Ansem the Heartless."

"Vexen, you will have your time to hypothesize later," Xemnas assured. "It grows late, and we still have not properly introduced ourselves. Axel, since you were so eager to talk to Roxas earlier, why don't we mix things up a little and start with you?"

Axel, who had slouched back in his seat, now sat up again. "You got it Mr. Superior sir," he said. He first, however, took his deliberate time cracking his back, glancing once or twice at Saïx. Roxas felt Axel was purposely baiting the other man, but he had no idea why.

Finally Axel settled, leaning forward the same way he had earlier, and spoke, "I'm not sure how high you can count to kid, but I'm number VIII, Axel, Flurry of the Dancing Flames." He lifted his right hand to his face and tapped his temple with his index finger. "Got it memorized?"

Roxas felt his jaw twitch. Just because he couldn't remember anything, the stupid flame-head-

"Don't worry about Axel," number IX said, interrupting Roxas' violent thoughts towards flame-head involving a pointed keyblade up the red head's ass. "He's not making in fun of you or anything, that's just his catch phrase." Number IX was smiling, his light brown hair done up like a rocker. He leaned forward with a hand against his mouth as if he were about to share a secret. "Actually, Axel's pretty nice once you get to know him-"

Axel reached down and punched number IX on the head.

"Ouch!" IX yelped, grabbing the back of his head.

Xemnas cleared his throat loudly.

Axel gave Xemnas an innocent look while Number IX glanced back and forth between Saïx and Xemnas looking a little sheepish. "Sorry boss," he weakly laughed. Still rubbing his head, he sat up and looked at Roxas. "Number IX. Name's Demyx." He posed dramatically and when he spoke again, his voice was dramatic and musical. "The Melodious Nocturne." A giant blue sitar appeared magically in his hands. He looked as if he were about to sing when the next member decided to introduce himself.

"Number X," his voice rumbled. He was a white blonde with a buzz cut, a mustache, and an earring in his left ear in the shape of the Nobody symbol. "Luxord, the Gambler of Fate."

"XI," came a man's voice from what could be mistaken as a woman's body. "Marluxia, the Graceful Assassin."

"Larxene," giggled the female voice next to him. The next came out cold, "the Savage Nymph."

While turning to face his left side to see the others, Roxas noticed that Axel was still staring at him. The others at least looked at whoever was speaking, but the flame-head wouldn't stop staring at him. It was unnerving him, the amount of concentration that was in the flame-head's stare.

"Well, since you know the boss already, I guess it's my turn," the man with graying hair, an eye patch, and a nasty scar sitting to Xemnas' left said. "Xigbar. I'm the Freeshooter."

"Xaldin, the Whirlwind Lancer," said the guy with the wicked sideburns and dreadlocks.

"Vexen," said number IV. Roxas was relieved to see number IV was no longer staring at him like an object. "The Chilly Academic."

However, Roxas still felt flame-head's gaze on him. It was really starting to get distracting.

"Lexaeus," said the painfully deep bass of V. "The Silent Hero."

"Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer," said the next member. Roxas couldn't help but notice the petulant stance of the Schemer. It was almost amusing.

"The Luna Diviner, Saïx." There was still no inflection in Saïx's voice. Roxas couldn't help but wonder if the man had actually felt emotions in his previous life. He was too calm, even Roxas had been able to 'feel' anger.

Roxas' gaze slid back to Axel's. The red head was _still _staring at him! What the hell was his problem?

The side of Axel's mouth twitched.

Roxas glared.

Axel smiled.

Roxas snorted and turned to face the Superior.

Xemnas clapped his hands together and spoke, "Very well then, I believe that will be all for tonight. I am sure Roxas is more then ready for a little break after the week he's had. I will see you all a little later." And with that, he was gone.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Demyx is such a horribly fun character XP


End file.
